Thursday, January 03, 2008

Rarely has a win in a game with seemingly so little on the line meant so much and felt so satisfying. But such was the case following Michigan's thrilling 41-35 victory over Florida in yesterday's Capital One Bowl.

Michigan didn't just win a football game in Orlando, it slayed a few dragons and shook a couple monkeys off its collective back all in the course of one 60 minute football game. A game that, if not for four turnovers - including two by Mike Hart inside the five yard line - Michigan just might have won in a rout. They were that dominate.

This was the "old relic" Lloyd Carr out coaching the "It Boy" of the profession and his defending national champs. Adding to it all, Carr did this on the day he left coaching behind as Michigan itself left behind an era - an era that maybe isn't as dated as some think.

This was the "slow, plodding" team from the Big Ten blowing the Gator D line off the ball while the Gator O line struggled to protect its Heisman Trophy-winning QB from the Michigan onslaught. It was U-M receivers streaking past, through and around the supposed "superior SEC speed" of the Gators.

This was a U-M squad playing with an intensity and passion that was apparent even to this Wolverine fan watching from my living room. What the country witnessed was the team promoted as a top 5 title contender in all the pre-season publications last summer. The Michigan team Wolverine fans had all been hoping for but, with so many injuries throughout the season, one we hadn't seen. Now, finally, with everyone healthy, this was Michigan unleashed.

Most importantly, in winning its first bowl game after four consecutive post-season defeats, Michigan proved it's not as far from college football's elite than some of its detractors would have you believe. It still can play with anybody.

All that from one game?

Yes. All this from one game. Just as one game - last year's Rose Bowl defeat at the hands of USC - had the Chicken Littles of the Wolverine universe in a panic and college football pundits frothing at the mouth announcing Michigan's decline. A decline just one game after a three point loss - on the road at Ohio State - less than 24 hours after Bo's death - cost Michigan a shot at the BCS title game.

Following Michigan's loss to USC, radio hosts, bloggers, columnists and casual fans held up the results from Pasadena as a glaring example of all that U-M wasn't. So if that's fair, then today I hold up Michigan - 41, Florida - 35 as proof of everything Michigan still is.

80 comments:

As amazed as I am that Mich actually played with passion today, I can honestly say I am glad they played this bowl than the Rose Bowl. Had UM played that buzzsaw of a team USC, the outcome would have been different. Illinois had no business being there.

with that typed, I am filled with such joy that I still can't believe I watched my Wolverines win today.

And I am very glad to see Carr and the Seniors leave the game of football with such a huge win.

That was the best win that I can remember! I always want a win of course, but I wanted this one more than any other time and it was sweeett to have them deliver in a big way! There is no question that Lloyd will be missed, there is a strong nostalgic feeling about the entire game. I am excited about the new era, and I appreciate that R2 was respectful of the day yesterday and was very low key, anytime that he was on camera, he always said, this day is about this team and Coach Carr, not about me. I appreciated that very much. I still feel this incredible feeling, it sort of proved what I felt all year, this is a great team, I am so glad that they were able to show that yesterday!

I am not happy that the press is giving us very little love for it. I am curious what a negative spin ass clown will have on this, and trust me, I will be the first one to comment on his said article if he does that!! Very special win for a very special group of guys and group of coaches. Nicely done!

That was a pretty sweet game yesterday. Of course the detractors will say that we faced Florida in a off year and it was a lower tier bowl and we probably had no business being there in the first place but screw them. We won. Never mind those same detractors probably say that had the three Florida losses been wins...yadda yadda....91% of America didn't give Michigan a chance...Well...here's a few raspberries...

I think if we had this team agaist the Buckeyes, we would have beat them...

What a great win. Being a Florida resident, it will make my 2008 much more enjoyable!

Couple of things...

What a great game by Lloyd and Debord. If they had been this daring and inventive all along, there would have been no need for change (not sure about that pass to Long, or the second pooch, though. There's daring, then there's Les Miles). Regardless, I'm thrilled to see Lloyd go out with a win.

Yes, yes, Mike Hart is wonderful and passionate, but I could have done with a little less trash talking. He wasn't the only one, but he was clearly the ring leader.

Will the REAL stud of the Wolverine receiving corps please stand up? Oh yes, there you are Adrian.

everyone said i was crazy to go to the game... hah to them. i had an excellent group of very loud michigan fans around me and lost my voice screaming. lloyd, henne, & arrington were great... very proud to be a wolverine. :)

Big Iowa Hawkeye fan who's been lurking here for a long time, but never posted. That game makes me post here for the first time.

I have always respected Michigan for the way they've done their business from Bo to Coach Carr. I teared up the moment they showed the Michigan players going to get the water cooler, and started crying for Lloyd when they doused him. Could not have ended better for a classier man and coach. Those kids played their a$$es off, and showed what they're made of, and as you said, how good they could have been without all the key injuries to key guys.

Way to go "slow" Big Ten team.

PS...Congrats on getting Arrington away from us here in Iowa. Turned out pretty good for you guys, and we sure could have used him the past few years.

Growing up, and on through school, I always *expected* we would win. No matter how things were going in the game, it was always a surprise when it finally ended and we hadn't pulled it out. Somewhere between graduation and now, I lost that faith in the outcome. Michigan's "Inevitability Factor" had been compromised.

Yesterday, it was back. Sure, I sweated every play, but in the back of my mind I was convinced we would eventually make the right call or big play and win the game. Don't know why, but it was nice to have that confidence back. It was nice to feel like Michigan again.

Good game, Michigan. After hearing so much about Hart's heart and team leading skills all year, I have to say I was pretty unimpressed yesterday. It should have been a college career achievement game for him, instead he let Florida get in his head and made an ass of himself. Good thing for him the rest of the team picked up where he left off. Overall the game proved what I expected - two lackluster defenses showing a fireworks of offense. Good win for Carr - also glad to see your DC was hired by Louisville.

Great win for the Maize and Blue, Lloyd Carr and the Big Ten. As an big Penn State fan it was great to see the mighty Gators get upended by a Big Ten team. I only have one problem about yesterday's game. What was Rich Rodriguez doing on National Television? It was Lloyd Carr's day of triumph. Rodriguez should have kept a very low profile.

I heard someone else poking at RR for being on the sidelines. I'm willing to bet he was invited by Lloyd. I thought he *was* low profile and respectful. I only remember seeing him once (joking with BM) and once in the interview, which I was happy to see.

Buckeye fan perspective here. What a great win for Michigan yesterday! The plan to put pressure on Tebow worked to perfection. Even though Harvin burned Michigan's D a few times, the pressure forced a number of hurried throws, especially on the key 4th down stop late in the game. I was happy to see Lloyd go out a winner, and was especially happy to see the Big 10 get a huge win against the SEC. If only others (I'm talking to you Wisconsin) had taken care of business... Anyway, congrats, and please root hard for OSU on Monday night. We will need all the help we can get...

Percy Harvin is unreal. That kid can run. He had me go through a few pairs of underwear.

I still can't get over the win. It was great. And with that win, the Big Ten has its 3rd bowl win necessary for winning the ESPN bowl challenge. (Whoop-dee-doo.) Well done, PSU and Purdue.

Wisco, come on! Now OSU really needs to beat LSU so that the Big 10 can come out ahead of the SEC.

Oh, and the whole speed argument is crap. There are a lot of fast players out there. Take MM and Harvin for example. Is it that the SEC have more of these fast players than every other conference? Are games really played in fast forward at SEC schools? Whatever the case may be, I think that Michigan's record against the SEC and the Big 10's record last year against the SEC sort of show how trite the "speed" argument is. I think that what people are referring to is the advantage of having quick, fit players on both sides of the ball.

Congrats on a very satisfying victory, one which started my day off on a great scale, and of course finished up rather nicely in the Rose Bowl.

Perhaps this will force the SEC at least for a day or two to STFU!

Michigan and USC had similar seasons this year, parallel roads of ups and downs, serious and continuing injuries, losses to teams which normally couldn't score a lick against superior defenses, let alone beat us.

Both Michigan and USC showed that when healthy, they were teams to be feared.

Glad your season ended on a high note! Good luck in 2008, replacing Henne and Hart won't be easy. However, with a new coach, and new offensive philosophy, it may all work out for the best.

I don't want to take anything away from Georgia, as they absolutely stuffed a high-power offense, but Hawaii just can't hang with the big boys. There, I said it. Everyone wanted another Boise St, and Hawaii was not it.

There is probably not going to be another Boise St for a long time. Last year's Fiesta Bowl was truly one of a kind, and that Boise St team was a great team that deserved to be in the BCS. And I know that it wasn't Hawaii's fault for its weak schedule since traveling there is difficult and no schools want to do it, but Hawaii never proved that it deserved to be in the BCS. And its best win was against a mediocre Washington team that was probably jet-lagged and gave up a big lead.

Is App St the Boise St of this year? No, because Michigan gave them the game. It shouldn't have happened. I don't know how OU fans see their loss to Boise St, but that Fiesta Bowl loss was nothing to be embarrassed about and both teams gave their best effort. Michigan simply played down to its opponent, and had its season ruined...only to be redeemed by a fantastic win yesterday that was one for the ages and quite possibly the best highlight of an otherwise unexciting bowl season.

I originally posted this in respone to your comments last night, and then you had to go and reinforce my viewpoint today. Since I doubt you'll see them on an old post, here they are. Someone needs to tell you.....-------

You sir, are a flaming idiot. I am ashamed to share an allegiance to the same school as you, though based on your comments I'm guessing you didn't get that attitude from education at U of M or education anywhere for that matter. It is no wonder your profile is private, if I was as ignorant as you have proven to be I wouldn't claim my comments either. Or perhaps cowardice is the reasoning behind it, as that would not surprise me either.

Oscar Wilde once said "The only thing that ever consoles man for the stupid things he does is the praise he always gives himself for doing them."

Praise yourself much, because you'll get none from those of us who contribute intelligent conversation to this board.

Or, to put it in terms more conducive to your understanding...

I'd call you a retarded donkey, but that would be a disservice to both the mentally challenged and donkeys. You're a fucking moron, and I'm guessing the only reason you watch michigan football is because at one point and time it was the cool thing to do in your trailer park. So do me a favor and the next time you're in public refrain from wearing any michigan gear, just stick to the regular wife beater- you showing your support is embarassing to those of us with brains. fucking moron.

Nope, sorry, didn't happen. The boards on ESPN were polluted with SEC nation insulting Michigan and brining up App State. The only way to get to SEC land is keep beating them in bowl games. Michigan is 7-3 in their last 10 against the SEC and UW is 2-1 in their last three. The numbers don't suggest any conference is vastly superior to any others.

I'm still giddy from that win yesterday. It's amazing, all the Michigan haters (and being out west, there are a lot of them) have been converted. 1 game and Michigan is respectable again -- amazing! And injuries aside, where was that coaching all season??? The first series of running Hart into the line didn't come until 2:30 in the 4th!!!

joshua... do not use the word "retarded" as an insult. You're lowering yourself to his level.

Did anyone see USC schedule next year? The full PAC 10 run and tOSU and Virginia OOC. Except for ND, absolutely brutal.

Props to Mike Garret and Pete Carrol for having the balls to do such a thing. Too bad our piece of shit AD gives us App State and EMU.

93, If you read the continuation of that sentence I think I absolve myself of that.

Whets,Know where I can take classes on forming an opinion? I tend to be shy and kinda wishy-washy with my comments.

feelin Blue,Philosopher, ladies man, purveyor of the sarcastic, I am a legend to noone but myself. But since the world revolves around me I'm oddly ok with that. I just can't wait until tomorrow, as I get better looking every day. HA!

My ego aside, it's nice to see fans from other schools providing genuine contributions here! Not that it's unusual for a few regulars, but the mass showing is appreciated.

Jim,"Somewhere between graduation and now, I lost that faith in the outcome. Michigan's "Inevitability Factor" had been compromised."

WOW. I couldn't have put it better. Somewhere along the way I actually started expecting us to screw up. Perhaps the seed was planted with the Colorado game (yes sorry I brought it up) but it definitely came into fruition during the stretch when we were more likely to win if we were down 10 heading into the fourth quarter than if we were up 10. Yesterday just seemed to erase that, we seemed like us again.

As for the speed issue, we finally showed some, and to one of the announcer's credit he said R2 must be salivating on the sideline knowing he has this much speed to work with.

Seriously, after seeing that first drive yesterday does anyone doubt R2's Ninja Offense is gonna work in Ann Arbor? And I don't see us falling into a protective shell when we get up 10 or 14, so that inevitablility should be here to stay.

Also, it was nice to see such joy on carr's face as he was carried off the field.

katie - glad you enjoyed - it really was amazing! I loved the post-game - knowing we were seeing what wouldn't be shown on tv...Coach Carr's comments - Crable bringing up Herbstreit, Henne getting the MVP, Hart giving the Defense props --- just so great...

Yost, et al,Not that I expect anyone missed me, but I held up commenting a day, just to make sure I didn’t over react either direction to yesterday’s game.

For me, it was a very bitter sweet game.

It was sweet to see Lloyd carried off the field a winner, one last time. Sweet to see Henne have the kind of day we always expected when he became a starter 4 years ago. Sweet to see our D rattling and bruising the other team’s QB, disrupting their offense. Sweet to see the SEC crowd have to sit down and talk about something other than their “speed” and brilliant young coaches.

At the same time it was bitter to watch us throw the ball down field after years of refusing to do so out of some strange adherence to long dead theories of offense. Bitter to ask why we hadn’t thrown this kind of D at Oregon, or App St, or USC or, well, the list goes on. Bitter to realize that we’ve had this offense in our playbook since at least 2005, and have used it only once before (2nd half of the rose bowl). Bitter to know all those innovations, adjustments, and adaptations have been available all these years and never used ‘cause Lloyd didn’t believe in them.

So, at the end of the day, the day was great, but the season still lousy, and the recent history lack luster. If I thought Lloyd would call the games next year like he did yesterday, I’d probably want him back. If he’d called the last 3 or 5 seasons like he did yesterday, I’d be more sentimental about his retiring. But it took his retiring, his assistants needing to audition for new jobs, and the threat of losing 4 straight bowls to get him to unshackle the talent we always talk about & let it play in a system that took advantage our athletes. It was a great send off, one I enjoyed and was happy to see him get. However, I’m still glad it was a send off.

Katie, They're kidding right? This has gotta be a Will Farrell practical joke or something. Being the team playing the best at the end of the season is only meaningful if we have a playoff, so sorry SC, but you can suck it.

Speaking of a playoff, that would tend to (partially) solve the problem of coaches jumping to another school before bowls. If, say, 8 teams had a a shot at the NC I don't see any of those 8 coaches leaving.

goat7d,Yes, retarded donkey- not to be confused with ass clown. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere, let me know if you find it.

SIC,I did miss you, just two days ago we were having a conversation about puppies. Granted they were Erin Andrews' puppies, but puppies nonetheless. Had Lloyd thrown the same gameplan at everybody the last few years there'd be no reason for him to leave and we'd be playing LSU right now and probably the Gators last year though you can't fault the performance given in columbus last year.

With that, it's nice to see him go, and the era of Ninja Football in the Big House begin. Yesterday should've quelled any fears as to our speed, can't wait to see what uses R2 puts it to.

Whets, why get rid of the puppy? Spoil sport. And then Joshua comes along....I thought you didn't like them called puppies, do you see how a girl can never win? Shut up, look pretty, don't pet the puppies......damn. :P

I was merely confused when you spoke of them as "Puppies" instead of their proper name, "FUNBAGS". HA! Call them whatever you will, they're still enjoyable in almost any shape or form. And this from an admitted ass/leg/kneck & shoulders/oh-who-are-we-kidding-i like-it-all man.

"Shut up, look pretty, don't pet the puppies......"

Why are women always telling me this?

Oh, and the proper name for thighs? Why that would be "EARMUFFS", of course!

Congratulations on the big win. In all honesty, I was stunned by the Michigan victory yesterday. I kept believing all along that Florida would come back and find a way to win. When they rallied to tie the game at 28, I thought that was it for Michigan. Even at 41-35, I thought Florida was still going to find a way to get it done.

But now that I've had a day to absorb what I saw and look at the stats, I see that Michigan totally dominated the game outside of that little stretch in the first half where Florida went up 14-7.

Michigan's sustained aggression coupled with an outstanding game plan proved to be the difference in the game, not speed (IMHO). The defensive line couldn't be blocked. Your coaches took a hint from what Auburn and Georgia did to Tebow - bring tons of pressure on every play once you get the lead. When they did blitz, they did so with a clear plan.

Henne was throwing long passes with touch as only he can in the college game today. There was aggressive play calling throughout the game. The coaches put the game in Henne's hands, and he responded.

Florida's got everybody beat on the speed issue - even in the SEC, none of them can compete with Florida's speed at most positions. But football is not just a footrace. Michigan had enough speed, a lot more sustained aggression, and a much better game plan yesterday. I'm still surprised, but no longer stunned by the outcome.

"Oh, and the proper name for thighs? Why that would be "EARMUFFS", of course!"

LOL! I believe the proper name for the puppies that you are referring to is "sweater puppies." I forget where I first heard that one, but I'll never forget my first second base!

SiC, I totally hear you on that one. It really does suck that they got injured and that they didn't play their best all season long. I just don't know. Still, I think that Michigan's huge win was a nice ending to a crazy season in which UM had to fall victim to the first--and worst, most devastating--major upset. The classy coach/father figure got to walk out a winner after such huge disasters. After that loss to Oregon, most of us didn't think that Michigan would even make a bowl game. Before long, UM was a win away from making the Rose Bowl. Maybe that would have been a better finish. I don't know. Yesterday's was so thrilling that I couldn't have asked for anything more. Maybe we had to feel desperation in order to experience sweet redemption. Hopefully this will be the beginning of many more great things to come.

What a great game, probably the best bowl game of the year. I sat on the 35 yardline of the Florida side yesterday and watched one hell of a game. Even tho my beloved GATORS lost, you really had to feel good for the UM team when the game ended. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them rush out onto the field, jumping and shouting, waving their helmets in the air. After carrying Carr out onto the field, the majority of the UM players charged over to the UM fans in the ne corner of the endzone and started doing Lambeau Leaps into the stands where their fans were hugging and slapping their backs. I had to wonder if our players would have been as happy, and I had to conclude that they would not have been. It was a tough year for UM, but they played like champions yesterday. Too bad UM failed to play that way all year - they may have been in the BCS title game, instead of another over-rated OSU team. Hail to the Victors! Even the mighty Tebow couldn't win this game (not with our sorry defense & special teams effort, anyway).

We only won 2 big games this year (f$u & Tennessee), while losing to AU, UGA & LSU, so I wasn't that surprised that we lost to you guys. UM was inspired and motivated, while we were lackluster, and at times, dazed & confused.

One other thing, I met some great UM fans before and after the game, really enjoyed jawing with them, they were all nice people, very classy. Really a nice change from all the negative and nasty stuff I ususally hear & see. I hope that all the UM fans had a great time while in Orlando.

g8rb8r:The gator fans were great to all the people in my party. everyone i talked with had class. we had a great time in Florida. thanks for the hospitality. unfortunately, we will be at the national championship game next year with the Wolverines, so we won't be in Florida.

WVU is looking very good. I hope they can win. The players got the short end of the stick and it would be nice for them to get a win. Although I don't feel the same for the fans who have been pretty nasty about the whole thing.

Feelin blue and Sic, I was really worried about our D with R2 coming in, I was not convinced that the 3-3-5 stack would be a good thing, I am loving what I am seeing tonight! I am not half as worried as I was. And Blue, I think we CouldG OA L L T H EW A YNext year!

Katie... Did you see the college football edition of SportsCenter tonite? There was an interview with Pete Carroll and I think it clears up any confusion that that exists regarding where USC thinks they should be. Pete specifically said he wasn't going to take a play from the Meyer or Stoops playbook but simply that he wishes they could still be playing.

And I do to... could you imagine a USC v. UGA game this bowl season? Wow!

SiC, thanks for the link from the Dispatch. I really don't have a dog in this hunt since I haven't seen a down of RR coached Michigan football. But it seems to me that if money was the motivator as Arace suggests, then why didn't RR bolt for Bama a year earlier???

I have seen a couple of RR interviews and he repeated himself yesterday, that there will be "some things" coming out at a later time. I wonder if those "things" involve death threats against his wife and his kids getting harassed in school after the Pitt loss? By way of comparison, Carr lost 5 of his last 6 against tOSU, did anyone in A2 threaten deadly force against him as a consequence?

Thanks Sic, I will see if I can locate it, not sure why I want to get pissed though....LOL.

93, I am glad to hear that Carroll isn't pulling a Meyer. The same could be said for many teams right now, including Michigan (that we wish we could keep playing after seeing what this team can really do) that is just the way the ball bounces, you lose to Stanford, it doesn't matter how good you are the rest of the year, you are done.

As to R2 and death threats, just reading the posts of some of the WVU fans (and one was added on a thread down a bit just yesterday, I hope Yost caught it and deleted it) they have been vicious in a scary sort of way, so I am inclined to believe that it could have happened. Honestly, can you blame him for wanting to make a positive career move? He has changed his offensive play book every single year, he is not one to grow stale and moving to a bigger school, is one of those things that innovators do to keep from becoming stale.

I think if it were jsut the money, he would have bolted for Alabama last year. I think he sees the chance to come to Michigan and stay here a few years. He probably also sees a chance to get some of the players he's been dreaming about.

If they were going to implement a D1A playoff, I think it would have to be at least 16 teams and include the conference champions. Otherwise it would still be the sham it is right now.

There was an article in SN a week or so ago about RR. Tom Dienhart wrote it. (I must add that Dienhart is an idiot.) There was one quote that stood out. After WVU's win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, RR apparently told Dienhart , "You know, coaching at your alma mater isn't all it's cracked up to be." I'm paraphrasing what I read, but that is very close to the exact quote.

I think that RR also left WVU because the fans are insane. I was watching the game against Louisville and the crowd got so quiet because WVU wasn't beating them by enough.

I don't know that it's even worth responding to, but the Dispoatch article is all spin.

I would have liked to see RR coach their bowl game, but enough with the "abandoned the kids" riff. He didn't leave a bunch of orphan toddlers in the woods. The "kids" and the staff knew the gameplan and obviously got along fine.

Also, let's drop the "he sold these kids on his system" crap, as well. Any coach that leaves a program will leave some of the kids he recruited. What about the kids who came to play for Carr? Should we cry for them, too? What about Tressel's poor recruits at Youngstown?

Perhaps the most annoying is the frequent misuse of Bo's "Michigan Man" quote. That quote was made in specific reference to Bill Frieder...a basketball coach...who had announced he was leavbing for a job at Arizona State before the NCAA Tournament started. It was never intended as the baseline requirement for future football coaches.

"On one side, Buckeyes backers can revel in the fact that Michigan is no longer Ivy League clean. Indeed, the program is now as openly hedonistic and jaded as any other program in major college football. One hundred years of haughty imperiousness can be put asunder."

Look, I'm no fan of tosu, but I don't go out of my way to look for or spin shit to run them down. This article...it's just sad. When you look to other people or programs to define yourself, you can never become anything more than a pale reflection.

The "he abandoned the kids" makes for good press. Like I said somewhere else, if it were just about the money, he would have bolted for Alabama last year or sooner. I think he wants to come to Michigan because of something else. Even the Football guy that I like to read "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" was ragging on him, lumping him in with Saban and the like. Well, if he leaves in two years, then that's a fair assessment. IF he stays a while, then not so.

MGoBlue93 said... And using the transitive property of college football:

Pitt > OU

App State > UF

What a crazy season.

Let's see...UM loses to App State & costs Carr his job, UF loses to the team that lost to App State, therefore, following the same logic, Meyer should also step down at UF. Nah.

But, the one that needs to go at UF is Charlie Strong, Asst Head Coach & Defensive Coach. This guy sucks. This was a Zook hire, and it eventually cost him his job - hell, we couldn't even stop Mississippi State, for Pete's sake, the worst team in the SEC. And this is what really kills me....UF is running the same defense that we ran when Zook was there. Lots of great players and lots of sorry coaching.

What's the point of having a TEBOW, if you can't stop the good teams from scoring?

Carr had the unwavering support of the administration. And yes, while the alumni and boosters were crying foul, I'm wondering if such folks wield the same influence like they do down in SEC country.

Carr has been intensely private, so we'll never know the real reason for his retirement but Carr has acknowledged now publicly the Rose Bowl loss from last year was one of his toughest losses ever and he notified Michigan's AD about his retirement heading into the fall.

I would never think Meyer should go either. And to tell you the truth, I've been a pretty outspoken guy about Meyer in the past. I was pleasantly surprised at the kind words he had for Michigan during the coaching search and the bowl game post-game press conference.

Michigan has a secondary much like UF's. The difference is on Tuesday, Tebow threw off his back foot all day while UF didn't get the same type of pressure on Henne.

Florida is young and loaded and they will be back this fall. Georgia (and depending on the BCS game, LSU) will probably be ranked ahead of them to start, but this past season showed preseason polls don't mean shit.

For us, the fantasy of next season will be how high we are ranked at the beginning of the season. The reality of next season, we will be no better next year, than this year. And the only way this scenario changes, will be if there are some defensive coaching changes.

"...do you really think the App State game cost Carr his job?" Would Carr still be there if UM had beaten App State? That game would not have even been a blip on the radar, just recorded as another gimme win for Michigan. But when you lose to someone whom is supposed to be a sacrificial victim, then the heat is turned up many fold. This story was beat to death by the media at the time. It's never just one thing that does a coach in, but the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" that does. 'Course losing to tOSU, doesn't help, either. Same thing will happen to Meyer if we keep losing to UGA, one loss is tolerated, but I can assure you, back-to-back losses to UGA will cost Meyer his job, as UF has not lost back-to-back games to UGA since the late 1980's.

Carr would be gone, even if we had won a NC. He made that decision long before any game was played this season. Martin said, time and again, Lloyd could stay as long as he wanted to. Yes, sections of the fan base were calling for his head (at least they did not threaten the lives of his wife and children as WVU did) However, there still was a very loyal fan base for him as well. Even those calling for his head, respect him as a person and member of our community. So this was not at all about running him out on a rail because of a loss or two (that yes, were huge losses for this program). He is a highly respected man and he went out on his own terms for his own reasons and to make it anything other than that is absolute disrespect to him.

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